ROCK ISLAND, IL (02/07/2011)(readMedia)-- The Augustana Concert Band will give their final concert of the year on Saturday, February 12, at 2 p.m. in Centennial Hall (3703 7th Ave.). Under the direction of Dr. Frederick Jaeschke, the band will perform four lively pieces that were chosen by the students. The concert is free and open to the public.
Jaeschke, associate professor of music and music education coordinator, explains how the students select the music for the concert. "The members of the band listen and rehearse various pieces, and then vote for their favorites," he said. "This selection system makes the concert enjoyable for the students and the audience."
The concert will feature "The Willows of Winter" by B.J. Brooks, "For All the Wyle Eternal" by Ralph Ford, "Silverado" by Bruce Broughton, and "Chorale and Shaker Dance" by John Zdechlik. The four pieces are very different from each other. Broughton's "Silverado" was composed as the soundtrack for a western adventure story and is marked by an enjoyable melody and fun syncopated rhythms. "Chorale and Shaker Dance" is one of today's most widely-recognized pieces of band literature and is based on the well-known Shaker tune, Simple Gifts.
Marcus Julian, a sophomore oboist from Itasca, Ill., says that "Chorale and Shaker Dance" is his favorite piece in their concert because of the song's catchy, memorable melody. "I enjoy concert band because it gives me exposure to so many different types of music," he said."I think the audience will really like the different styles and genres."
Students performing in the concert from your area include :
Sheila Ahuja from Rock Island, Ill.. Ahuja is a first year majoring in general studies.
Hannah Barney from Bettendorf, Iowa. Barney is a sophomore majoring in business administration.
Greg Donley from Silvis, Ill.. Donley is a first year majoring in general studies.
Darshan Hullon from Moline, Ill.. Hullon is a first year majoring in general studies.
Eryn Maccabee from East Moline, Ill.. Maccabee is a first year majoring in general studies.
Elizabeth Mayer from Dixon, Ill.. Mayer is a first year majoring in general studies.
Halley Stearns from Sherrard, Ill.. Stearns is a sophomore majoring in communication studies.
The Augustana Concert Band includes students from a wide variety of majors and music backgrounds. "The the vast majority of students in concert band are not music majors," Jaeschke said. "For many of the students, playing an instrument has been a big part of their life, and they simply enjoy playing in the band."
About Augustana: Founded in 1860 and situated on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River, Augustana College is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college enrolls 2,500 students from diverse geographic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and offers more than 70 majors and related areas of study. Augustana employs 287 faculty members and has a student-faculty ratio of 11:1. Augustana continues to do what it has always done: challenge and prepare students for lives of leadership and service in our complex, ever-changing world.
